Pre-Civil War Quilts: Secret Codes to Freedom
About this event
This is a virtual event—it will not be held at the library. Once registered, you will receive an email with the webinar link and password. No software is needed to access this presentation online.
The event will be recorded and available on demand for a week after the initial date.
Need help using Zoom? Visit tplibrary.org/faqs#zoom to get started.
This historical presentation, “Pre-Civil War Quilts: Their Secret Codes to Freedom on the Underground Railroad™,” is based upon Connie Martin’s mother’s book: "Lizzie’s Story: A Slave Family’s Journey to Freedom” by Dr. Clarice Boswell. Connie tells fascinating family stories of how these quilt codes were used by her ancestors, their meanings and interpretations that have been passed down to her; a 6th generation descendant of captured American slaves.
“Sometimes a quilt is just a quilt, other times it had hidden messages that helped fugitive slaves escape to freedom.” -Connie Martin, MA.
Speaker Bio:
Connie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois State University, and a Master of Arts degree from Aurora University with a Thesis in Integrating African-American History Lessons in educational curriculums. Retired Teacher, currently a Fitness Convention Tour Presenter, CEC Provider, Certified Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer, and Quilt Presenter of the Anti-Bellum period. She is affectionately called a “Quilt Whisperer.”
“My mother, Dr. Clarice Boswell, retired teacher, counselor, and administrator, created this presentation 20 years ago. I have watched her many times, listened, and learned wonderful stories of my relatives and ancestors’ great historical past. When I retired from 32 years of teaching, she passed the presentation on to me to continue sharing the secret codes, stories, and her legacy for all to hear and share.“ -Connie Martin, MA.